Ministry – “Filth Pig”
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Harmonicas are in short supply in metal. Considering metal’s undeniable blues lineage, the music could certainly use more harp, when done tastefully. We’re talking about doing the instrument justice – not hacking on it like The Pretenders’ “Middle of The Road”.
Harps do show up in metal. Black Sabbath’s first album included a prominent harmonica riff and solo in “The Wizard” (discussed here). However, you rarely hear harp in metal anymore, despite the instrument’s ability to wail, scream, moan, and sound downright evil.
When a harmonica does make an appearance, it’s often in the most unlikely places, like Ministry’s “Filth Pig”. Al Jourgensen plays a decent solo about halfway through the song (3:31 above), although his decision to smoke cigarettes and blow harp simultaneously is ill-advised.
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Clutch – “Electric Worry”
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A more classic example would be Five Horse Johnson harp player Eric Oblander’s stellar accompaniment playing and drop-your-jaw solo on Clutch’s “Electric Worry”, which skirts as close to blues as possible. Harmonica virtuoso Nicky Shane also plays what he calls “Heavy Metal Harmonica” with his band the Psycho Surfers.
The lack of harp in metal hasn’t gone unnoticed. YouTube virtuoso Håkan Ehn of Stockholm, Sweden translates classic metal songs into harmonica. Check out his take on Sabbath’s “Iron Man” and “Paranoid”, together here. He’s also deftly crossed the line between blues and metal in a piece he calls the “Heavy Metal Harmonica Boogie”. Finally (and perhaps most impressively), he’s turned Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” into a solo harmonica piece.
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Håkan Ehn – “Enter Sandman”
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We’ve had saxophones, mandolins, conch shells, and Moog synthesizers in metal. Why the shortage of harmonica, an instrument that perhaps rivals the human voice in its limitless capacity for expression?
Don’t forget digeridoo on Cryptopsy’s And Then You’ll Beg.
Not metal, but Gorilla Biscuits are basically the only hardcore band ever to have a harmonica solo.
Appreciate the nod to Electric Worry, as that is the single greatest use of harmonica ever…but Clutch really aren’t metal and never have been. They’re one band who you can get away with calling “rock n’ roll” and be totally accurate.
There is an Unsane song with harmonica.
Harmonica was made popular in the Heavy Metal community through these pioneers:
Motley Crue – Smokin In The Boys Room
Faster Pussycat – House Of Pain
Cinderella – Bad Seamstress Blues
Jetboy – Bullfrog Pond
Mike Monroe – Dead, Jail, Rock And Roll
The harmonica part that opens, The Wizard, always sounds like an old steam train to me, fucking awesome. everytime I listen to that song I wonder the same thing, “why don’t more people play harmonica in heavy rock bands?” it’s a hard instrument to master to really give it some ’soul’
@Graeme — Interesting mention. I forgot about that track because I’m stuck on the Lord Worm albums. The didgeridoo does add a cool element but it’s an aboriginal Australian instrument with a distinctly different sound than a harp.
@Brad — I love “Electric Worry.” As for the greatest harmonica performance ever I humbly submit James Cotton’s “Creeper”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZXMWklGf84.
It’s otherwordly playing — a one-man symphony.
@Foeg — I’m a huge fan of the harp sections on “The Wizard.” If you enjoy train sounds you might want to check out some of the early country players, who were judged on their ability to mimick trains and fox chases. “Railroad Blues” by Freeman Stowers is in my opinion the best and close to impossible to master: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rC6mc0bMcWY
Here it is Unsane Alleged
Opps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqF1nyjCU8M
I believe there are two Megadeth songs on Youthanasia with harmonica.
I keep thinking that there was a Danzig song or two with harmonica, but maybe I’m just misremembering.
He surely did have some straight blues guitar on Danzig II, though.
“Train of Consequences” definitely has a harmonica on the end of it.
Firebird has a really cool track that features a harmonica instead of a guitar, the whole song through!! And it’s a kick-ass riff too (if you can even call it that, being an harmonica and all). Not metal but still cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpjeMMBq6eg
I’m guessing so few metal bands incorporate harmonica because they know they will never be able to top the awesomeness of “The Wizard”. I can’t imagine anyone being able to top Ozzy’s wicked harp riffage.
I love “The Wizard.” That’s why I’ve chosen “The WZAd” as my screenname.
Also, I came here to mention Goatsnake. Why the fuck has nobody mentioned Goatsnake? They use a pretty good bit of harmonica.
That James Cotton recording is pretty amazing!
I love ‘The Wizard’, and also the harmonica in the opening to Led Zeppelin’s ‘Bring It On Home’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm3zUQjG5no
Unsane – This Stops at the River (off of Visqueen)
Also, this is a bit off subject, but I would argue that Clutch were pretty metal back in the Transnational Speedway League days.
The forthcoming Angel Eyes CD/LP should have some harmonica on it, if I have my information straight.
I am pretty sure it is going to be deployed in a pretty droney fashion, though, so comparisons to “The Wizard” are probably pretty off the mark.
Wzad dude you’re right on the Goatsnake. I was thinking to myself that they weren’t a metal band because they just play heavy as fuck blues then I realized that’s basically metal anyway…
It’s not metal but Captain Beefheart used lots of wacky harp in some of his songs.